A Backyard BBQ Wedding | Cyrena + Ben
The first labor of love wedding I ever photographed was Kelsey + Matt’s at their home, Wanderwood. The two brought a classic New England farmhouse and the surrounding land back to her former glory by hand (and new acquired tractor skills) just in time to host their own wedding. The finishing touches were completed by the couple plus a handful of close friends and family, quite literally, as guests arrived. (PS, take note- they have since opened up the magic of Wanderwood to the public through their organic farm/sustainable events and lodging business!)
Being a part of their celebration at the home they nurtured and cared for as fiercely as each other, moved me in a way that still affects me today. To quote a favorite author of mine, “Love in this world doesn't come out of thin air. It is not something thought up. Like ourselves, it grows out of the ground. It has a body and a place.”
I loved everything about my experience with Kelsey + Matt at Wanderwood, so when Cyrena + Ben contacted me, I knew our working together was meant-to-be. The two had recently purchased a log cabin nestled in the woods, and shortly after, as the pandemic spread, Cyrena + Ben got to work restoring the cabin and maintaining the land.
This past summer, after delays in 2020, we finally celebrated their wedding. Applecroft Catering arrived early and got to roasting a heap of Maine hens over the fire all day, and chopping freshly harvested veggies as wedding preparations orchestrated by Indigo Event Co. were underway. Cyrena, her sisters, and her mom got ready in the cabin while Ben + his family were at his childhood home down the road. After a first look in front of the cabin, Cyrena + Ben and their guests walked a meandering path through the woods to the ceremony spot under the pines. Guests got comfy for the ceremony on the handmade log benches, and just as the couple said “I do” an owl added in his hoots of congratulations.
The party shifted back to the front lawn where guests enjoyed the signature cocktails crafted by the Roaming Speakeasy, enjoyed dinner, and of course- danced the night away.
